The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-15
HUSBAND AND LOVER.


7th year I lost my mother, but the
poignancy OF my childish grief was in
some measure alleviated when six
months later my father brought me
a little playmate OF my own age. She
was his ward, and we grew from child
hood to girhood beneath the same
roof, and for my part ! can say |
loved Natalie Chester us a sister.
How beautiful she was, in the first
flush OF her peerless womanhood.
II wonder will he be her latest con-
quest?" | asked myself, when for the
first time Lindon Stafford and she
stood face to face He was my faith
er's young assistant, and perhaps the
only man she ever met who, pan
opiied in the armor of u cold indifier-
ence, seemed insensible to her charms.
And know this Indifference piqued a
vanity the ilattery OF many tongues
famed into passion.
Does it not occur to you. Myrtle"
she said TO me one afternoon, that
our Young doctor is u man OF singu-
larry phlegmatic temperament
Gle has never made love to you,
/ Natalie" / answered dry ly. yet 1t
ought to be u novel sensation to
meet man who does not fall in love
and worship you"
He cheeks flushed slightly, but she
retorted with a laugh: "Would 1t
not be q more novel sensation still to
constrain him into idolatry. They
say that natures the least demonsta-
tive are capable of the strongest Ieel.
ings, and that the spark once applied
TO the latent ire you are treated to II
connagration"
She spoke lightly, but the glance
that flashed from the dusky beauty OF
her eyes convinced me that if all the
devices OF a fascinating woman did
not full her she would bring lAndon
Stafford to her feet. |, 1ho watched
Mr.. Stafford keenly, saw tSat he was
struggling with passion that he
felt would only bring him unhappi'
ness. But the hour had come
when strong mems souls would be
tried in the crucible Of u great
aliliction. and Linden Stafford. stand
ing face to face with incorporating
necessity, dare no longer fritter away
existence in dream OF love. The
terrible scoulge of yellow fever had
speDt over Memphis, and within n
week it presented all the appearance OF
n city OF the dead. In their ablect
terror the people fled they cared not
whittier, and fear Cor the time being
crushed all the nober INSTINCTS oil
humanity from hearts where craven
sefshness predominated. My iather' S
first thought was for Natalie's safety
and mine, and to this end he telegraph
ed to Miss Chester's other guardian
who was then resident in anorthern
,state. n due time that gentleman
arrived to carry his beautiful ward
and me far from the reach OF the I'M
pending danger, but no remonstrance,
no entreaty, could induce me to de-
sert what conceived to be my post
of duty. Shall ever forget that night
when Natalie left us. Before bidding
her good.by / had hurried upstairs
for a parcel she had forgotten, and III
returning i'm u minute or so to IND
DR.. Stafford in the room, ] paused
outside the door, Bob U
Intended to say farewell" " she said
as, with downcast eyes, she held out
her hand.
+, you must think me very cowardly
to flee from danger while Myrtle insists
on remaining" =.
Miss Craig place is. by her fathers
side" he answered; '.but it would be
worse than madness IN your friends
to allow yout to incur risks that could
bring no possible good to any one
And then you are to young and beau
tiful to de-" a.. -.
And if this parting should be for
ever what would yousay to me, Mr.
Stafford!" 'g9hlal
II would say farewell-only fare
well, he replied, evasively, as he re
leased her hand. Her eyes looked IN
10 his, and a cry escaped him as he
caught her in his arms, aud II a mans
love ever went out TO a woman 1t was
in that lingering kiss ifs pressed upon
her lips. turned away, and, with
trembling limbs and sinking heart,
stole quietly upstairs. For / had
learned to love this man even with a
hopolessness that intensified passion
which had ciangedthec current my life
into channel whose source was bitter
ness and sorrow. am not going 20 lin
ger over the DAYS that followed when.
as an hospital nurse, / tried to forget
my folly. Within two weeks the sum,
mons came to the only one that loved
me, and was an orphan. DR.. Stat
ford was also stricken down, and